SEED COAT ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE GENUS ASTRAGALUS L. SECTION ULIGINOSI GRAY (FABACEAE)

Abstract

The seed coat ultrastructure of the genus Astragalus L. section Uliginosi Gray in Turkey was examined by Light Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy in order to determine cytological and morphological features of two species in this section. The macrosclereid, osteosclereid and parenchymatic cell layers are found to be in the seed coats. Testa is composed of a quite long, 2-3 layered, with tannin in vacuoles and thick walled macrosclereid cells region, underneath there is single osteosclereid layer with large intercellular space cells. The bottom layer consists of parenchymatic cells stored with starch grains, protein and lipid. The seed coat of these species are similar in structure; but the thickness of the layers is different. In all seed coat layers, A. odoratus is thicker than the A. falcatus. 

Keywords

• Astragalus,Uliginosi,seed coat,ultrastructure,TEM

References

1. Maassoumi, A.A., Astragalus in the Old World, Check-List, Research Institute of Forest and Rangelands, Tehran, (1998).
2. Chamberlain, D.F. and Matthews, V.A., Astragalus L., Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Vol. 3, In: Davis, P.H. (ed), Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 49–254, (1970).
3. Davis, P.H., Mill, R.R. and Tan, K., Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands (Suppl. l), Vol. 10, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 114–124, (1988).
4. Aytaç, Z., Astragalus L., Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, (Suppl.2), Vol. 11, In: Güner, A., Özhatay, N., Ekim, T., Başer, K.H.C. (eds.), Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 79‒88, (2000).
5. Aytaç, Z., Ekici, M. and Akan, H., Astragalus L., Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler), In: Güner A, Aslan S, Ekim T, Vural M, Babaç MT (eds.), Publication of Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden and Floristicts Research Society, İstanbul, (2012).
6. Watson, D.P., “Structure of the testa and its relation to germination in the Papilionaceae tribes Trifoliae and Loteae”, Ann. Bot., 12, 385–409, (1948). [7] Corner, E.J.H., “The leguminous seed”,
7. Phytomorph., 1, 117–150, (1951).
8. Manning, J.C. and Van Staden, J., “The development and ultrastructure of the testa and tracheid bar in Erythrina lysistemon Hutch. (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae)”, Protoplasma 129, 157–167, (1985).

9. Yachlich, R.W., Wergin, E.L. and Vigil, M.C., “Special secretory cells in the Soybean seed coat”, Protoplasma, 134, 78–87, (1986).
10. Serrato-Valenti, G., Melone, M., Ferro, A. and Bozzini, L., “Comparative studies on testa structure of hard seeded and soft-seeded varietes of Lupinus angustifolius L. (Leguminosae) and on mechanisms of water entry”, Seed Sci. Technol., 17, 563–581, (1989).
11. Serrato-Valenti, G., Cornara, M., Lerrando, P. and Modenesi, R.T., "Structural and histochemical features of Strlosanthes scabra (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) seed coat as related to water entery”, Can. J. Bot., 71, 843–840, (1993).
12. Maumont, S.,“Seed-coat anatomy of the non seeds pleurogrammic (Leguminosae, Mimosoideae)”, Brittonia, 43, 249– 259, (1993). in tribe Ingeae
13. Bonaldo, A., Baldan, B., Rascio, N., Mariani, P., Gastaldo, P., Profumo, P. and Bevilacqua Riggio, L., “Ultrastructural characterization of seed coat maturation in Cercissiliquastrum L.”, Pyhton, 33(2): 257–265, (1994).
14. Sahai, K., “Anatomical variability in seed coat of some Cassia L. (Caesalpinioideae) species with taxonomic significance”, Taiwania, 46(2): 158– 166, (2001).
15. Ponomarenko, S.F. and Pavlova, M.E. “Seed structure in the genus Bauhinia L. (fam. Fabaceae Lindl.) in the Context of Taxonomy”, Biology Bulletin, 30(4): 361–369, (2003).
16. Wang, H.L. and Grusak, M.A., “Structure and development of Medicago truncatula pod wall and seed coat”,Annals of Botany, 95: 737–747, (2005).
17. Aniszewski, T., Karttunen, A. and Hyvarinen, H., “Structure of Phaseolus lunatus testa at its central point”, Acta Biologica Cracoviensia, 48(1): 69– 76, (2006).
18. Büyükkartal, H.N., Çölgeçen, H. and Pınar, N.M., “Seed coat ultrastructure of hard-seeded and soft- seeded varieties of Vicia sativa”, Turkish Journal of Botany, 37: 270–275, (2013).
19. Akhalkatsi, M., Beridze, M. and Gvaladze, G., “Embryo and endosperm development in Astragalus caucasicus Pall.”, Bull. Geor. Acad. Sci., 132: 601–604, (1988).
20. Gvaladze, G. and Akhalkatsi, M., “Comparative embryology of some Astragalus species”, Bull. Georg. Acad. Scien., 153: 432–434, (1996).
21. Riahi, M., Zarre, S., Chehregani, A. and Behboudi, B., “Seed development in two species of medifixed hairy Astragalus (Fabaceae)”, Flora, 198: 211–219, (2003).
22. Riahi, M. and Zarre, S., “Seed development in Astragalus (Fabaceae), and its systematic implications”, Acta Biologica Cracoviensia, 51(1): 7–13, (2009).
23. Luft, J.H., “Improvements in epoxy resin embedding methods.”, J. Biophys. Bioch. Cytol., 9: 109–115, (1961).
24. Steampak, J.G. and Ward, W.P., “An improved staining method for electron microscopy”, J. Cell Biol., 22, 697, (1964).
25. Harris, W.M., “On the development of osteosclereids in seed coats of Pisum sativum L.”, New Phytologist, 98: 135–141, (1984).
26. Harris, W.M., “Comparative ultrastructure of developing seed coats of hard-seeded and soft- seeded varieties of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.”, Botanical Gazette, 148: 324–331, (1987).
27. Algan, G. and Bakar Büyükkartal, H.N., “Ultrastructure of seed coat development in the natural tetraploid Trifolium pratense L.”, Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 184: 205-213, (2000).
28. Pitot, A., “Le developpement du tegument des graines de Legumineuses”, Bulletin de la Societe Botanique de France, 82: 311–314, (1935a).
29. Pitot, A., “Sur certaines particularites du tegument de la graine dans deux especes de Canavalia”, Bulletin de la Societe Botanique de France, 82: 379–381, (1935b). [30] Williams, L.F., Structure and genetic characterization of the soybean, Soybeans and soybean products, vol. 1, In: Markley, K.S. (ed.), Interscience Publishers, New York, 111–134, (1950).
30. Thorn, J.H., “Morphology and ultrastructure of maternal seed tissues of soybean in relation to the import of photosynthate”, Plant Physiology, 67: 1016–1025, (1981).
31. Carlson, J.B. and Lersten, N.R., Reproductive morphology, Soybeans: improvement, production and uses, In: Wilcox, J.R. (ed.), 2nd ed., American Society of Agronomy and Academic Press, Madison, 95–133, (1987).
32. Yachlich, R.W., Vigil, E.L., Erbe, E.F. and Wergin, W.P., “The fine structure of aleurone cells in soybean seed coat”, Protoplasma, 134: 78–87, (1992).
33. Fahn, A., Plant anatomy, Pergamon Press, Oxford, (1974).
34. Gunn, C.R., Seeds of leguminosae, Advances in legume systematics, part 2, In: Polhill, R.M., Raven, P.H. (eds.), Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, (1981).
35. Werker, E., Seed anatomy, Encyclopedia of plant anatomy, Vol. 10, part 3, In: Carlquist, S., Cutler, D.E., Fink, S., Ozenda, P., Roth, I., and Ziegler, H. (EDS.), Gebrüder Borntrager, Berlin, 1–424, (1997).
36. Yeung, E.C. and Clutter M.E., “Embryogeny of Phaseolus coccineus: growth and microanatomy”, Protoplasma, 94: 19–40, (1978).
37. Yeung, E.C. and Cavey, N. J., “Cellular endosperm formation in Phaseolus vulgaris. I. Light and scanning electron microscopy”, Canadian Journal of Botany, 66: 1209–1216, (1988).